The St. Roch area has seen some serious crime over the last year, but an incident early Tuesday (5.12) morning is one of the more bizarre cases. A pair of squatters were hospitalized after allegedly being assaulted by a group of 15-20 masked men.

Gentle reader, the reality on the ground seldom reflects the packaged narrative sold to us by the media. And rightly so. We’d all sooner read about a stabbing than almost any other instance of the infinite mundane. But even the callous among us are beginning to grumble about the crime and wonder aloud when was the last time things felt this bad. But let us walk not afraid. Let us not hole-up behind barred doors. Let’s stop by instead, my friends, and have a pitcher or two at the St. Roch Tavern.

Halloween weekend was marred by two shootings on Saturday (11.01) night and Sunday (11.02) morning. In the Seventh Ward, a man was killed on the street. On St. Roch Avenue, another man was mugged and then used as human target practice.

Saint Roch’s crime issues persist. On Saturday night (10.12) a woman was assaulted and robbed while walking down the street. The crime occurred at the intersection of Spain Street and St. Claude Avenue in the heart of a well trafficked strip.

Gentrification is hard work. It can be a dangerous job as well. At the end of August, a pair of contractors working on a house in St. Roch were robbed on the job. After weeks of reviewing tape, police have now released footage of the getaway.

This morning (9.12). it was the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) not the NOPD called to St. Roch, and the story had a much happier ending. At 3:51a.m. the one alarm sounded and the NOFD scrambled to a fire at 2701 Marais Street.

On the heels of three recent beatings, District C City Councilwoman Nadine Ramsey is set to hold a community meeting Wednesday (8-6) in the St. Roch neighborhood. The town hall meeting focusing on crime prevention will be held at Our Lady Star of the Sea (St. Roch Ave. and N. Prieur St.) from 5:30 - 7 p.m.